New Year, new life
by Chelsieobsessed1980
Summary: The idea popped in my head 2 days ago, when I was watching the final episode of season arles has just handed his duties to Tomas and he is struggling with a lost of his position as a butler,which he was so attached to for many years.We all know that he generally hates changes,but this particular will cause him a great distress.Will Elsie be able to ease his pain? Let's find out


NEW YEAR, NEW LIFE

**Welcome everyone. I wish you all a very Happy New Year-2020! I hope all your dreams will come true. I decided to start mine the best way possible, that is by writing a new Chelsie story. First one this year, but thirteen in a row. I'm a little superstitious, so I can only hope that you won't totally hate it. The idea popped in my head two days ago, when I was watching the final episode of season six. Charles has just handed his duties to Thomas and he is struggling with a lost of his position as a butler, which he was so attached to for many years. We all know that he generally hates changes, but this particular will cause him a great distress. Will Elsie be able to ease his pain? Let's find out. **

**Legal note: I don't own these characters, I just let them feel comfortable in the abyss of my imagination.**

New Year's celebration was over. There were so many sensations that night, that it was difficult to process them all. Lady Edith's wedding, the birth of baby Bates and of course Charles's decision about resigning from his position as a butler, followed by His Lordship advice for Thomas to substitute Charles. Happy things were mingling with sad things.

Elsie and Charles were walking back to the cottage, in a falling snow. This winter night was extremely quiet and beautiful and if circumstances were any different, Elsie would have enjoyed it to the fullest. But that was not possible. Charles was walking side by side with her, silent, with his eyes wandering somewhere on a winter landscapes. He didn't said a word to Elsie, since they left the castle and she wasn't bold enough to even try to talk to him. He was in a similar state of mind for weeks now, ever since she discovered the first signs of his illness. Elsie tried to be supportive, as much as she could, but her efforts seemed to meet with nothing. Charles has built a wall between them, sinking into his own sorrow and not letting her in his private space. They haven't talked much, even at work and when they came home in the evenings, he usually grabbed a book and isolated from her or he went straight to sleep, mumbling something about being very tired.

Elsie sighed deeply, wondering what happened to the wonderful evenings in the cottage that they used to have before the news destroyed their little, own private paradise. They used to be so utterly happy before, sitting by the fire, drinking tea and eating biscuits or enjoying the delicious dinner prepared by Mrs Patmore, (Elsie finally accepted the fact that she is not a great cook and never will be), when they decided to eat dinner at home. After the meal, they sat comfortably on the sofa, drinking wine, cuddling closely, talking about the household matters, their colleagues problems, the books that they were currently reading. Often they talked about their future, planning the trip for the summer holidays or discussing the necessary renovations, that still needed to be done in the house at Brouncker Road. They rarely lacked the topics of their conversations. In exception of the days when they were really tired and they didn't need a feel to talk. It wasn't awkward then. In those days they were just simply sitting ahead of the fireplace, leisurely sipping wine, but always so close, hugging each other tightly. In most cases their nights ended with love making. Some nights it was more passionate, more impatient-like a sudden volcano explosion. Other nights they took their time, not racing with anything, just casual and slow kisses and caresses-in this case they often lost a sense of time, the whole world seemed to stop for both of them and something so meaningless as the clock didn't matter. Of course the next day was always painful, when they had to battle with a loose of sleep, while proceeding with their usual duties. But in the end it was worth it. They both never felt so endlessly happy, as they were lying in their marital bed, hugging and kissing. Feeling secure and calm.

However now this seemed to be the song of the past. Charles hasn't touched Elsie for weeks. All she got these days, was a brief morning cheek kiss when they said good morning to each other , after they woke up. Elsie missed the closeness of her husband terribly, more than she was willing to admit. Charles didn't seem to need her anymore and that was a very heavy burden for his loving wife. The kiss they've exchanged tonight, at midnight, during the New Year's toast, was the first proper kiss that they had for weeks. Elsie decided that it was about time to end this pitiful situation that they were both locked in. New Year has just begun and she wasn't going to spent it isolated from her husband. No more of that nonsense!

"Charles that was quite an evening, wasn't it? The wedding, the birth of Anna's baby. All about happy things."

"It was Elsie. Although I'm still rather shocked by the fact that Anna gave birth at Lady Mary's bedroom. That was quite inappropriate."

"Oh come on Charles. What was she suppose to do? Went back to her cottage when her waters already broke in Lady Mary's room?"

"Elsie! Please. I really don't need to know the details!"

"Well Charles, that is how women bodies work, whether you like it or not. This is how it is. But you are a man. What can you know about it?"

"I would say as much as you do. I don't recall you going through the labor in your life"

Charles said those words absently, not thinking how much did he hurt his wife at that moment. Striking the painful spot. Elsie was not a woman who would spent much time regretting things, but not having children was one of those sensitive things that she didn't like to be reminded of. So her face frowned, when she heard those words and she felt a sharp pain in her heart, as a realization of what he just threw in her face.

Charles noticed that he went too far with his last comment and tried to repair the situation.

"I'm sorry Elsie. That was rather harsh. I shouldn't have said it."

"You weren't wrong Charles. It's true that I have never went through pregnancy and labor and I will never go through that, given my age, but still I think I know a little bit more about women's body processes than you do."

"Of course you do. Let's leave this question already."

They arrived to the house, feeling a little relief when they went inside, escaping the cold air.

"Charles why don't you light the fire and I will get us some tea, unless you are tired and want to go to sleep at once."

"I'm not actually that tired. I think I have already passed the point of a need to go to sleep, so I'm more than happy to have some hot tea."

"All right. Than I will make some for us."

When Elsie finished to prepare the tea and got to the table with a tray, containing a pot of hot tea, two cups and a plate full of Christmas cookies, Charles was done with lighting the fire and they both sat on their sofa, but not like they used to do it before. They were sitting apart from each other, not touching any part of themselves. Elsie couldn't help but remembered all those years, when they use to have their evening Sherry at his pantry or her sitting room, being so far apart as they were now, but wishing to be closer. It looks like we made a circle, returning to what we had before. Elsie sighed again, when this thought has entered her mind. She wanted to start the conversation with Charles, but he seemed so distant, so devastated. Like his whole world just fell into pieces. She wanted to pick the pieces together and make him whole. Again.

"Charles. Are we ever going to talk about it? I know how difficult it must have been for you tonight, when you eventually decided that you are retiring. It must have been a double burden for you, giving that Thomas is going to replace you."

"You are wrong Elsie. It was not that difficult at all. I know Thomas and even though he is not a righteous man that I would prefer to see as my replacement, but he has some qualities. I think that if he will work very hard on himself he has a chance to succeed."

"That may be. But you had to gave up your service and I know how much that meant to you."

"Let's not got carried away Elsie. All things happened in a proper time. Yes, I was a butler and I served the family for over fifty years, but all the things are finally coming to an end. Everyone of us are at some will reach the moment when we must decide to retire. There's nothing special about me here"

_Oh my...That is worst than I thought...He is denying his own sadness and despair._..Elsie thought worrying herself.

"Charles..." Elsie moved on the sofa, so she could get closer to Charles, and took his hand in hers.

"Why don't you want to be honest with me? I'm your wife. I know you better than anybody else does. I know how difficult for you it was to gave up the essence of your life, just like that, on one night."

"Elsie I...I can't talk about this..You know that I have never been sentimental. It is how it is. We can't change some things, so we need to accept them, just the way they are. That's all"

"No Charles. That's not all. It's not just about tonight. You've been avoiding talking to me for weeks. You've built a wall around you and you won't let me in. It's all started when I found out about your illness. Why don't you talk to me? Tell me what's bothering you? How can I help?"

"You can't help Elsie! You can't! I'm useless now! You are my wife as you say, but you should regret it now! You've married a strong, proud man with meaningful position and what you got now? A helpless old fool, who is not even capable of pouring the wine! You should leave me before you will totally ruin your life!"

"Charles...My darling..You are an old fool...Did you ever thought just for one minute that I could leave you? That I will broke the vows that we took in front of the congregation and all of our friends? You must know very little of me, if you ever thought for a moment that I would be capable of doing something like that. A promise is a promise and I'm not going to break it."

"This is just a promise. Nothing else. If this is all that's keeping you with me, then I'm sure that we can easily find a way to get out of it."

"No, you silly old curmudgeon! That is not the only thing that keeps me with you! I'm here because I love you. Because you are my whole world and my life was so empty before I met you. You waited twenty years to marry me, even though I did my best to convince you that we are perfect for each other, it took you that long to understand and now you think that I will leave you? You may forget it!"

"But Elsie...I'm nobody now. You've married a butler of one of the finest houses in the country. I was someone then. Now I'm going to be just an old grandpa, who's only occupation will be planting the carrots in the back yard."

"And that is a very important thing. You know how much I love carrots" Elsie smiled to her husband and raised one of her hands to his face, stroking his cheek tenderly.

"You are joking Elsie, but I'm really worried. How will I ever manage to do anything? You will go to the Abbey everyday, carrying on your duties and I will be home alone, trying to help you in any way and if the tremors start, I won't be able to help you with any of the house stuff"

"Let's not worry about that now. You will do whatever you can do. And if something will be too much, then I will help you and we will face all the tasks together. Darling...It's not the race for a prize..Our cottage. It's not the Abbey. It won't matter if we will not have dinner at the same hour or if we will clean few days later than scheduled, won't it? That's what married life is all about-helping each other. I want to help you."

"Oh Elsie..Love...You are my most precious treasure..I have no idea what I would have done without you.."

"That is something that you will never have to find out honey. I can promise you that. I'm not going off you. Never."

Elsie neared Charles and placed a sweet kiss on his lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss and she quietly moaned into his mouth, enjoying the long missing feeling of his lips. But soon she felt that Charles has stiffened and pulled away from her. She looked at him in astonishment, not being sure what might have caused this. Usually he was the one who would never break such moments between them.

"Charles what's the matter? Why are you pulling away from me? Don't you want me anymore?"

"Elsie..darling..I want you very much, you have no idea how much but.."

"But what? I want an explanation. You haven't touched me for weeks and you barely even kiss me anymore. Why is that?"

"Because I'm afraid.."

"Afraid of what?"

"Elsie..this palsy thing is very devious. You see, I can never predict when the next attack will get me and when it does I'm in no control with my own hands and if I can't control my own hands, then how am I suppose to touch you or love you? I'm afraid that I might hurt you in some way, unconsciously of course, but still, I might hurt you and I would never want to do that.."

Elsie felt that her heart was flooded by an enormous wave of love to her husband. There he was-big, strong man, her man, fighting with his illness, stopping himself from the carnal pleasures with his wife, and all that just because he was afraid to hurt her. Tears began to gather in the corner of her eyes.

"Charles.." she whispered "How could you have possibly hurt me, when you love me so much?"

"I love you very much Elsie. But my hands.."

"Your hands are just one part of you love. And I want all of you Charles...All of you..Always..I missed you so much those last weeks..I missed being close to you...I need you..Don't worry about your hands..I will take care of them too, if that will be the need.."

As a confirmation of her words she took one of his hands in hers and lifted it to her lips, kissing it reverently. She kissed inside and outside of his palm, looking him deeply in his eyes, while doing it, with an expression of total devotion.

Charles felt that her touch is melting him, hot waves came through his body and he knew that all he wanted to do is to take her upstairs, to their bedroom and make love to her endlessly, to show her that she means everything to him.

Wasting no time further, they went upstairs and started to make love. Usually during this kind of activities, Charles was the one who took the lead. But not tonight. Tonight Elsie decided that she will be the one who is in charge. She overwhelmed Charles with a power of her love and her desire. Her long awaited desire. She cherished his body, not ignoring the tiniest spot on it, what was rewarded with the most precious sounds to her ears-his moans, gasps, soft exclamations of her name sent her to heaven and back. She wanted to let Charles know how much she loves him, how incredibly handsome and sexy he is to her and he wasn't going to stay far behind her. That night they have given each other an enormous pleasure, the one that he denied her and himself for the last, past weeks. They both climaxed with powerful force and they collapsed on the bed. They were hugging each other so tightly, like they wanted to became one body, forever. Their wonderful love act was finished, but gentle touches, delicate caresses, light kisses still went on and on.

When they regained the ability to speak, Elsie still placing sweet, tiny kisses to her husband's chest, asked Charles:

"Have I managed to convince you to your new life Charles? Do you now believe that even when things have changed, it doesn't mean that they've changed for worse?"

"You have love. You very always quite good at convincing me. Yes, I do believe that life will be new and although different, it may even be better. But you are wrong at one thing"

"And what's that?"

"It's not my new life. It's our new life. Yours and mine. Together. I couldn't been more happier, because I know that whatever life brings us, I will face it with my beautiful wife by my side. Whom I love very much."

"And your wife loves you. My strong, handsome and very sexy husband. It's a New Year and a new life."

**I believe that Elsie manged to persuade Charles to their new life. She is very good at twisting him around her little finger as we all know ;-) I hope that you will like this story a bit. I had great fun writing it and what's new and unusual, I managed to start and finish it on one afternoon-that is today. I couldn't think of a better way of spending my first afternoon this year than with my beloved Charles and my beloved Elsie (I love them both equally) ;-)**

**Once again-have a very Happy New Year everyone. If you like this little fluffiness of mine please let me know in your reviews. As usual sorry for any mistakes that may have occurred. Let's make a 2020 a year of Chelsie!**


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